Cumulative impacts of copper and lithium mining in Argentina

Lithium and copper underpin both sustainable development and the global energy transition. Both lithium and copper are critical for the manufacture of batteries used in electrification of transport and grid-scale energy storage; copper is also required for electrical wiring, transmission infrastructure, industrial machinery, and digital technologies. Given the importance of these two metals there is potential that mining these commodities in Argentina will have a significant cumulative impact in the provinces of Salta, Jujuy and Catamarca in northern Argentina.
To address these concerns, this work has used a combined desk‑based research, field investigation, stakeholder engagement and geospatial analysis to assess the potential cumulative environmental and socio‑economic effects of lithium and copper mining in Argentina. A comprehensive literature and data review formed the analytical foundation, drawing on geological, hydrogeological, environmental and governance studies, alongside project‑level disclosures, environmental impact assessments (EIAs), company technical reports and existing BGS research in the ‘Lithium Triangle’. This enabled a detailed understanding of resource locations, resource characteristics, mining technologies and sustainability challenges.
Complementing the desk review, site visits and field observations were conducted in September and October 2025. These visits included Rio Tinto’s Salar del Rincón operation, allowing direct inspection of brine wellfields, direct lithium extraction (DLE) pilot facilities, water supply infrastructure, local geomorphology and monitoring systems. The visits provided essential contextual insight into operational practices, environmental sensitivities and logistical constraints in remote, high‑altitude, arid environments.
Stakeholder engagement formed a third methodological pillar, involving discussions with mining companies, provincial authorities and researchers. These interactions provided nuanced perspectives on governance capacity, social dynamics, Indigenous participation, infrastructure pressures and emerging cumulative‑impact concerns.
Finally, the study employed GIS mapping and spatial analysis using datasets from Servicio Geológico Minero Argentino (SEGEMAR) and the Secretaría de Energía to visualise project distribution, basin boundaries, hydrological systems and the spatial overlap between lithium salars, copper porphyry deposits and critical infrastructure.
Together, these methods enabled a multi‑scale assessment, from individual project impacts to basin‑wide interactions, capturing both technical and socio‑political drivers of cumulative effects. The integrated approach ensures that any conclusions reflect real operational conditions, local governance realities and the complex interdependencies among water systems, ecosystems, communities and industrial development across Salta, Jujuy and Catamarca.
The case studies of Salar del Rincón, Salar del Hombre Muerto and Salar de Arizaro together illustrate the diverse but interconnected challenges associated with Argentina’s expanding lithium and copper industries. They highlight how cumulative impacts intensify across scales from single‑operator salars to multi‑operator basins and mixed mineral districts.
Salar del Rincón represents a rapidly evolving lithium project transitioning from early development to large‑scale production, centred around deployment of DLE. The Rincón case demonstrates how even a nominally ‘single‑operator’ salar can quickly become a multi‑stakeholder system due to adjacent tenements, overlapping water demands and shared infrastructure needs. The site visit revealed extensive brine and freshwater wellfields, highlighting pressures on a hydrologically delicate environment where recharge is minimal and ecological receptors, particularly wetlands and lagunas, are sensitive to drawdown and salinity shifts. The case also underscores the significant associated logistical requirements, including energy supply, chemical transport and management of a remote site. Social considerations include the importance of community engagement, Indigenous relationships with salar landscapes, workforce health at altitude and the broader need to maintain trust and social licence.
In contrast, Salar del Hombre Muerto provides an example of a mature, multi‑operator lithium basin where cumulative impacts are already manifest. Production has continued for nearly three decades and the basin now hosts several operators at different stages of development, including long‑established lithium production systems, ongoing expansions and new entrants. This concentration of activity amplifies pressures on shared water resources, particularly the Río de los Patos and Río Trapiche systems, and has raised concerns regarding ecological impacts on wetlands and flamingo habitats. Governance complexity is substantial, with the salar straddling provincial boundaries between Catamarca and Salta. A 2024 court ruling requiring a cumulative impact assessment reflects growing recognition that project‑level EIAs cannot capture basin‑wide hydrological and social interactions. Social tensions in the region reflect a combination of environmental concerns, uneven consultation processes and perceived inequities in benefit distribution, set against the economic dependence many communities have on mining‑related infrastructure and employment.
The third case study, Salar de Arizaro, introduces copper into the analysis and demonstrates how porphyry copper mining interacts with lithium development within the same high‑Andean hydrological systems. The proposed large‑scale, open‑pit mine will require substantial volumes of fresh water for milling and flotation as well as brine for tailings management, drawing from the same aquifer systems that are also proposed for use for potential nearby lithium operations. The coexistence of copper, lithium and gold projects in the Arizaro basin highlights a new frontier of cumulative impacts where cross‑commodity competition for scarce water, infrastructure corridors and regulatory attention is likely to intensify.
Together, these case studies demonstrate that cumulative effects arise not only from multiple lithium projects within a single salar but also from the growing overlap between lithium and copper activity across broader basin systems. They illustrate why basin‑scale hydrological understanding, integrated infrastructure planning, robust governance and coordinated monitoring frameworks are essential for managing Argentina’s critical mineral expansion responsibly.